This invention relates generally to conveyor systems for poultry feed and like materials, and more particularly concerns a low-cost, easily fabricated tube for an auger conveyor.
Auger conveyors are widely used to transport feed in poultry feeding systems. Such conveyors are disclosed in greater or lesser detail in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,230,933; 3,511,215; 3,598,087; 3,799,116; 3,911,868; and 4,003,339. As discused there, an auger conveyor tube usually comprises a metal tube of uniform wall thickness, generally circular in its cross-sectional configuration. Along the tube, a number of holes or apertures are formed. These holes permit feed, which is being carried along the tube by a rotating auger, to be dispensed to various stations at which the poultry can obtain the feed.
It is the general object of the present invention to provide an auger tube for a feed conveyor and the like which is easy and inexpensive to fabricate. A related object is to provide such a tube which can be fabricated from low cost material. Another related object is to provide such a tube which can be fabricated without requiring welding or riveting in its fabrication.
A further object is to provide an auger tube which can be fabricated so quickly and easily as to permit more or less standard coils of sheet metal to be stored by the tube fabricator. When auger tubing is ordered, these coils of tube blank sheet metal can be quickly drawn from storage, fabricated into tubes, and then shipped without the necessity of storing the bulky finished tubes for a prolonged time.
A still further object is to provide an auger tube which, in its finished configuration, assists in properly locating associated feed-delivery means such as feeder pan assemblies, and in retaining these pan assemblies in their proper position. A related object is to provide conveyor tube sections which facilitate interconnection in a way which encourages equalized, controlled feed delivery from the many feed drop-out points provided along the completed auger conveyor.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference to the drawings. Throughout the drawings, like reference numerals refer to like parts.